Fragments of day-to-day conversation, overheard and recorded by artist Michael Hurson, debut as the subject matter of his one-person exhibition at the Paula Cooper Gallery. The installation of recent works on paper will be on view in the front gallery of 534 West 21st Street from 10 September through 16 October 1999.

With rapid scribbles and loose, soft lines, Hurson’s conversation pieces reflect the spontaneity of their content and execution. Extracted quotes, hearsay, and the artist’s writings converge in these collaged, double-sided paper constructions.

As a draftsman, painter, sculptor and playwright, Hurson’s production from the past three decades has resulted in a broad range of works — from his balsa wood, miniaturized interiors to a theatrical performance consisting of two lone light bulbs on a stage. His unconventional approach to drawing has been characterized as “artless in impulse while being terrifically artful in style.” [1]

Michael Hurson has been the recipient of several grants and fellowships, including, most recently, a 1999 Pollock/ Krasner Foundation Grant. His work may be found in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.

1. Peter Schjedldahl, “Here and Gone,” The Village Voice, January 21, 1997, p. 85.

For more information, please contact the gallery: (212) 255-1105 or
info@paulacoopergallery.com